The invention relates generally to input/output systems, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for simulating the input/output behavior of one system in a second system.
As computer systems become more complex, and as businesses rely more upon their computer systems, any performance problem which requires the system to shut down becomes a major and potentially disastrous event.
A failure of or decrease in input/output behavior in, for example, a memory system, could become a bottleneck to efficiency and throughput in the overall operation of the system. Thus, much effort and customer engineering has been directed to being able to resolve problems that occur in the input/output process. Typically, the problem is resolved by recreating the precise input/output data and path. This involves however, taking over the system having the performance problem, determining precisely where and what the problem is by recreating the problem at the customer site, for example by running the applications and data which led to the problem, and then resolving the problem.
Such methods of problem isolation and correction accordingly require the customer's system to be off-line for a period of time, and further can require intensive customer engineer time of the customer site. Aside from being relatively costly in customer time, this method of solving a performance issue can further adversely affect the customer's operations.